The beauty of Vietnamese calligraphy in early spring

Among traditional cultural practices at the beginning of the year, the custom of requesting calligraphy is a beautiful symbol that reflects the spirit of learning, respect for knowledge, and hopes for good fortune. Vietnamese calligraphy has become a cultural bridge between the past and the present. The activity of writing calligraphy and the custom of requesting calligraphy at the start of the year remain an indispensable cultural tradition whenever the Lunar New Year arrives.

People often request characters such as ‘An’ (Peace), ‘Tâm’ (Kindness), ‘Đức’ (Virtue), ‘Hiếu’ (Filial piety), or ‘Đạt’ (Achievement).

Joining the festive crowds during the Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse, Vu Tu Anh, a student at the People’s Police Academy, stopped by a calligraphy booth to request the character “Đạt” (Achievement). As she eagerly followed each brushstroke of the artisan, she seemed to place her faith and hopes into the flowing lines of Vietnamese calligraphy. 

Student Vu Tu Anh said: “Today, I requested the character ‘Đạt’ (Achievement) because I hope to achieve many accomplishments in both my life and studies in the new year”.

Vietnamese calligraphy artisan Hoang Thi Phuong shared: “At the beginning of the year, people often request characters such as ‘An’ (Peace), ‘Tâm’ (Kindness), ‘Đức’ (Virtue), ‘Hiếu’ (Filial piety), or ‘Đạt’ (Achievement)”.

For many parents who value traditional culture and knowledge, they always wish to encourage their children to participate in cultural activities during the new year, including the custom of requesting calligraphy. This is also one of the reasons why more young people today are becoming interested in Vietnamese calligraphy.

“Requesting calligraphy at the beginning of the year is a beautiful tradition in Vietnamese culture. It is not only about wishing for good luck, but also about educating my children to love our national culture", Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoang Nguyen in Tich Lương Ward, Thai Nguyen Province said.

Writing and requesting calligraphy at the start of the year remain an indispensable cultural tradition.

As one of the familiar calligraphy artists at festivals and cultural events, Ms. Hoang Thi Phuong, pen name Linh Phuong, has inspired and taught many generations of students who are passionate about the art of Vietnamese calligraphy. She also regularly participates in writing calligraphy at festival spaces during the early days of the year.

“Through events like this, I can see that many people love Vietnamese characters and cultural traditions, which makes me very proud", artisan Hoang Thi Phuong shared.

Each piece of Vietnamese calligraphy written at the start of the year carries a blessing, a hope, a reminder, and motivation for the year ahead. Calligraphy is not only an art of lines and strokes; it is also a moment for people to pause, reflect, and send their aspirations for success, inner peace, and a prosperous and happy new year.